Los Angeles County planners have dismissed a request from the state Attorney General’s Office to conduct an environmental analysis of a proposed South Bay warehouse project, which residents of a heavily polluted area in unincorporated West Carson fear will further harm their health and neighborhood.

Senior Planner Erica Gutierrez said via email Tuesday, Feb. 18, that the county does not believe California environmental law requires a lengthy and expensive review of the project, dubbed Bridge Point South Bay II, though she added that the county has worked — and continues working — with the Attorney General’s Office to resolve any outstanding issues.

The 203,877 square-foot concrete warehouse, with 21 loading bays, is planned for a 9-acre site at the southeast corner of Torrance Boulevard and Normandie Avenue, within 15 feet of houses.

“We believe any environmental impacts from the project are addressed by mitigation measures and that impacts were appropriately assessed,” Gutierrez wrote. “The department believes that the county has addressed the majority of issues raised.”

Officials with the Attorney General’s Office did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

It’s the second time in six months the Attorney General’s Office, which state law tasks with protecting the environment and public health, has intervened over a proposed South Bay warehouse.

A required public hearing to accept comments on the environmental impact report for that project is set for 5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 19, at the Dae Hueng Korean Presbyterian Church, 15411 S. Figueroa St. The city will also accept written comments through March 9, by emailing Jivar Afshar at jivar.afshar@lacity.org; folks can also mail comments to Afshar and the Department of City Planning, 221 N. Figueroa St., Suite 1350.

The issues surrounding each project, meanwhile, are similar, with residences and industrial uses in close proximity. Both will operate around the clock, seven days a week.

“It’s going to kill me,” said Erica Payne, who lives about 100 feet from the proposed Harbor Gateway warehouse. “I won’t be able to sleep. They have the right to do work, but we have the right to live.”

The Attorney General’s Office described the county’s analysis of the West Carson warehouse as “flawed” and measures suggested to help minimize health threats to the neighborhood as “insufficient” in an eight-page letter on Jan. 27.

“The local community is dealing with increased air pollution, traffic and noise as logistics facilities proliferate in the area,” the letter said. “Neighborhoods around the project already face high levels of pollution.”

The area ranks “worse than 96% of the rest of the state for pollution burden” the letter added.

About 2,250 people, 84% of whom are minorities, live within 1,000 feet of the site, according to the letter.

“This is an example of incompatible land use development rather than a diversity of urban and suburban developments that would further sustainability,” the letter said, adding that it conflicts with county policies requiring buffers between such uses.

The Los Angeles County Regional Planning Commission has scheduled a 9 a.m. March 18 public hearing in the Hall of Records, 320 W. Temple St., to consider the project without a full environmental impact report, which is mandated by state law for projects that will have a significant effect on the environment.

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to clarify that even though Los Angeles County officials said they do not think the Bridge Point South Bay II project requires an environmental impact report, they are working with the state Attorney General’s Office to address any outstanding issues.

Sign up for The Localist, our daily email newsletter with handpicked stories relevant to where you live. Subscribe here.

Veteran journalist Nick Green is the beat reporter for the cities of Torrance, Carson and Lomita and also covers the South Bay's rapidly growing craft beer industry for the Daily Breeze. He has worked for newspapers on the West Coast since graduating in 1987 from the University of Washington and lives in Old Torrance with his wife and two cats. Follow him on Twitter @NickGreen007 and @BeerGogglesLA.

Join the Conversation

We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. Although we do not pre-screen comments, we reserve the right at all times to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to us, and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. We might permanently block any user who abuses these conditions.

If you see comments that you find offensive, please use the “Flag as Inappropriate” feature by hovering over the right side of the post, and pulling down on the arrow that appears. Or, contact our editors by emailing moderator@scng.com.